Robust Rambles

Section 6 Out

Small Hythe to Tenterden

Walk Details

Walk Instructions

Comment: A pleasant walk off the marshland pastures to the pleasant town of Tenterden. Many stiles.

Leaving the Tenterden Vineyard, turn left up the road for a short distance passing bungalows on the right. Immediately past a red telephone box, turn right off the road over a stile into an enclosed path by a tall wooden fence on the right.

At the bottom of the slope, cross another stile into a field. Go ahead and follow the hedgeline on the right, down the field and around left to a gateway in the bottom corner. Go through and bear right across the field to the far right corner.

There is a footbridge, stile and gateway into the next field. Go through and turn right along the field edge with hedge on the right. Enter another field and go on in the same way to reach a further stile at the far side. Cross this and a footbridge to enter a large pasture. Head across, just right of a pair of distant oast houses.

At the far side reach a corner where the fence ahead meets the end of a hedge. Go forward now with the hedge on the left. At the very end of the field exit though a metal fieldgate into a small pasture below the oasts on the left. Soon reach a stile.

Cross this and a footbridge into a scrubby area. At the far side bear right into a field and go on in the same direction as before with a hedge on the left. Reach a stile in the next corner. Cross this and go on to another stile in the hedge ahead.

Over this, and a footbridge, keep forward with a hedge still on the left. At the end of this field, go up steps to emerge by the side of a large lake. Go ahead along with the lake on the left. At the end, keep on with a treeline on the left.

Cross two stiles with a footbridge between and go on along the valley bottom. Cross a further footbridge and turn immediately right upto a stile by a wooden fieldgate. Cross and bear left up a grassy farm track with trees on the right.

This stony track goes uphill and eventually changes to concrete. Keep on through farm buildings and follow the track as it bears right around the top of the buildings anjd heads towards an oast. Go though a gate and reach the entrance to the oast on the right.

Here turn left off the track through a gate into an enclosed path. Pass between ponds to reach a footbridge and stile. Cross these into a field and go forward along the edge with a hedge on the left. Reach a stile in the corner.

Cross this and go forward again still with a hedge on the left (ignore a path going off right at the stile). At the corner ahead, cross another stile and footbridge into a sloping pasture ahead (Tenterden church can be seen in the distance).

Head down the field just right of a wooden telegraph pole at the bottom. Cross a stile in the fence and bear left down to a footbridge. Cross to a rough corner of scrub. Go up to a stile ahead and enter a field. Head up towards a row of cottage chimneys.

On reaching a hedge, cross a high stile and go forward to a driveway. Turn left down to Belgar Farm. Keep on along the drive to pass the Farm on the right and keep on the track downhill to a junction at the bottom (local walkers go on a parallel path in the field on the left which curves around to the same place). Ignore the turning right and keep straight ahead to cross a ravine then on up a grassy track between hedges.

Eventually exit through a metal fieldgate onto a drive. Ignore the stile ahead and turn right on the drive to walk all the way down to a main road. At this junction two other footpaths go off on the right. Take the lefthand path which is asphalt and follow this easily along field edges and uphill to join a road. Keep forward in the same direction between houses to emerge onto a main road in the centre of Tenterden.

Turn left along the main road for a quarter of a mile passing shops and pubs. Keep on heading out of the town along a treelined pavement by the main road, to eventually reach traffic lights by an ornamental gateway and the William Caxton pub on the left. This is the end of the section.

At the far side look for a short plank bridge going left into a field. Cross the field bearing diagonally right away from the cottage. At the far side of the field cross a footbridge and stile into a pasture and keep on slightly left uphill towards a barn on the hill ahead.

At the far side cross a stile by a rusty field gate (with alpacas in adjoining field) onto a rough farm track. Follow this and soon pass vines on the right. Where the track meets and enters trees leave it and climb up the bank towards the vines. Bear left to follow around the field edge towards a wooden building at the top of the rise.

Pass the building and keep on through the outbuildings of Tenterden Vineyard to pass a shop and car park and emerge onto the road at Small Hythe and the start of the section.